That was not very successful

[zvi]

I have mentioned, I think, in the comments of this community, that I am working to revive my congregation's Adult Religious Education program. They had let it completely die (well, that is to say, the interim minister was offering one course that met once a month, and there were a few long time discussion groups that still met, and the A Course in Miracles class was rolling on its own steam. The book discussion group was kind of flapping about ineffectually, though.

This summer, I and another new member of the congregation taught Spirit in Practice and that went pretty well. So, this fall I asked someone else, who had previously taken the course, to teach Building Your Own Theology.

BYOT went much less well, partly due to scheduling difficulties (getting 10 Sundays in the fall where we weren't scheduled against a big, other church meeting proved more difficult than expected) and partly because the facilitator was not a great fit and I didn't provide any guidance for how the class should be approached. (I am working on something now.)

While I had already sort of set the spring schedule, I thought that before we set next year's classes (and budget request) I should consult the wider congregation. So I made a survey, and I've gotten one entire response. Yippee.

The thing is, I don't want Adult RE to wind up as a dictatorship where l lead a bunch of classes that me and three people new to the congregation are taking. For one thing, I think Adult RE should have stuff in it I would hate, like things that engage people directly with the natural world. For another, mini-dictatorships seem incompatible with our generally democratic structure.

So, I'm wondering, what are your experiences with Adult Religious Education (or Faith Development), not children or youth? Inside or outside of UU? What worked and what didn't, both for you and that you saw in your worship places that a lot of other people liked, even if you didn't? People in CLF, how is religious education working for you, are classes online (by correspondence? do you still do correspondence courses?) really good?

Also, what do you think it's for? Do adults need Sunday school, or is a well-spun sermon and one's own individual practice enough? How else does a congregation support "A free and responsible search for truth and meaning"?

Comments

[spaceoperadiva]

I always liked the "interest group" model better than the class model, but it only works if you have several people who are engaged and willing to organize stuff.

[zvi]

I don't know what that means. I mean, I don't know what an interest group is, or what you do when you get together, or anything like that. Can you talk about it some more?

[spaceoperadiva]

Sorry! I've attended four UU churches in four different cities, and all of them had interest groups. I thought it was part of the common UU culture.

If you have, for example, an Animal Welfare Interest Group, you have someone (or a couple of someones) who's the facilitator(s) who make sure that your meetings actually happen. Schedule the dates, schedule the room (or wherever you're meeting) let people know it's happening, spread the word. The group as a whole decides what activities they'd like to do, and ideally, different people take charge of different aspects. Bob arranges for a visit to the local no-kill animal shelter, Suzie arranges a beach clean up and turtle egg watch day, Melvin knows that guy Jim from that wildlife show and can arrange for him to come give a talk, everybody plans a Blessing of the Animals event together (probably in conjunction with the minister and/or Worship Committee).

The facilitator isn't stuck in the role of teacher, hopefully doesn't get overwhelmed trying to plan something to do every week all alone, and ideally everyone feels more engaged.

[shoshanna_g]

I don't think my church has anything that actually goes by the name "adult religious education." We do have active discussion groups (one reading books, one reading short stories, the latter led by the minister), a drumming circle, a history of shortlived covenant groups (half a year to a year), some groups on meditation and "exploring the intangible" (I have no idea what that group does), and the minister has led a group through a curriculum by Thandeka on "Exploring Our Theology" that I very much liked. Theres a monthly potluck dinner and the choir and the Social and Environmental Concerns committee and I'm sure there are other groups I can't think of or don't know about, as well -- but to my knowledge none of them have ever been labeled "adult religious education," and I'm not sure the phrase would go over well. (We do have religious education for children and youth under that name, and a Director of Religious Education.)

I do feel that more than just sermons is necessary; a little while after I started attending, when I decided I wanted to get more involved, I decided very intentionally that the way people grow close is by talking intimately together and by working together, so I set out to create those experiences for myself in the church: I joined a covenant group and I volunteered to help serve coffee. (And it worked.) As a multiple-graduate-school refugee, I would reflexively cringe a bit from the word "class," even thought I know intellectually that it's not going to make me pass exams and write papers.

I haven't looked at the curricula that you linked to (awkwardness of the iPad, lack of time and net access here on vacation), but I have come to the conclusion that the covenant group format doesn't work very well for me, because of the prohibition of crosstalk. I absolutely understand why it's there, I just want an experience that's a bit more interactive, if you see what I mean. On the other hand, covenant groups have been one of the few options at my church available to me, for reasons of logistics and of total-disinterest-in-drumming-or-meditating. I loved the learning about and discussion of UU history in the Exploring Our Theology sessions. I have thought about trying to lead a discussion group that would meet seven times, discussing each of the seven principles in order, but that's a fantasy unless I actually want to find the time and gumption.

I think I've heard that surveys tend to be very bad ways to find out what people want in circumstances like this. Another idea might be to rephrase away from "classes" toward, oh, exploring or conversation or learning, and invite people to get together over lunch to talk about possibilities? (Provide food. Our hospitality committee has proven that it's a huge draw ;) ) Talk about opportunities to learn more about UUism, to get to know more people in the congregation, to think about what's important to you ("you" being your potential attendees)? What counts as "adult RE"? I honestly don't know!

I hope this doesn't come across as critical; I don't mean it that way. I think your interest and your making things happen are awesome! Have you talked with your minister or other congregation leaders about what they think people might want or benefit from (which are not, sadly, always the same thing)?